Mansikkaniemi School

The two-storey timber school building and schoolyard lies on the edge of sweeping open fields designated as a nationally significant built cultural environment by the Finnish Heritage Agency and along the historical environs of Mansikkaniemi road. The school itself serves 180 students and one preschool group, and the building shares a club space with the local parish. Together with the occupants and an acoustic designer, we created learning and central spaces that function acoustically and open up and combine in different formations.

On the floor of the building can be found the seven-part artwork by Partanen & Lamusuo, an architect-artist pair from Kuopio. The art spreads through the foyer and hallways both upstairs and down, using the history of the area to form surfaces that inspire play and interaction. Their artwork for the facade reflects the history of the area and the traditions of timber construction and decorative panelling, reflecting the craftsmanship of the wooden church in Iisalmi.

The integrated artwork by Sirpa Miettinen also uses the area’s deep cultural history as well as the latest research on human interaction with intelligent and low-carbon light. The work highlights a space opposite the main entrance with projections onto the floor that flow onto the lower part of the walls. The interactive light creates a unifying communal space and enhances wellbeing, especially during the long dark seasons in Finland.